Approval
by mydarlingl0ve
Summary: Kakashi dreams of his father the night before his birthday


The night before Kakashi's birthday is a night he will never forget. Just as slumber took over, he thought of his father. How he wouldn't be able to introduce Sakura to him, be able to know if he'd approve of their relationship. At first, he never thought about his father approval, but as he and Sakura were going on four years together, he was thinking about proposing to her. Once that thought hit him, he began to worry. Would Dad approve of the age difference? Would he see it as "gross" or "inappropriate"? Would he see nothing wrong with it and be happy for his son's happiness after all this time?

The first thing Kakashi saw in his dream was his childhood home. That same lingering hope of his father cooking for him when he returned home from the academy filled his chest as he slowly reached out to open the door.

"I'm home," he mumbled, slipping his sandals off. Softly closing the door behind him, he walked into the kitchen, as he normally did, and choked back a gasp.

"Welcome home, son." Sakumo's soft voice rang out as he met Kakashi's shocked gaze. He chucked and turned back to the stove, mixing whatever was in the pot.

"Dad," he whispered after a moment, his throat constricting as he fought to find the words to say. He hadn't seen his father since Pain's attack on Konoha, so seeing him now left him more overwhelmed then he was previously.

"It's nice to see you, too." He chucked, gesturing to the chair for Kakashi to sit down. Almost mechanically he sat down, his eyes never leaving his father.

"Is this real?" Kakashi mumbled to himself, still not believing his father was there, looking as young as the day he last saw him.

"You know it's not, Kakashi. But there's something you'd like to discuss, no?" Sakumo smirked as he sat across the table from him.

Kakashi's eyes widened more as he nodded without thinking.

"I want to marry Sakura." He spoke, his words coming out so fast Sakumo mirrored Kakashi's shock before laughing.

"Is that so?" He chuckled.

"Yeah." Kakashi spoke in a small voice, running his fingers through his hair. "What do you think?"

"What do I think?"

"Well, you've been watching over me, haven't you?" Kakashi inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, yes." He smiled, his face softening as he nodded his head. "She's a wonderful woman, Kakashi. She reminds me of your mother in many ways."

Kakashi felt his heart clench. He rarely heard about his mother.

"The age difference-"

"Who cares?" He interrupted. "So what if you were once her sensei? That was almost a lifetime ago, son. Once your relationship began, I immediately saw the change in you. Your smile looked as genuine as it did when you were a child. Your inner peace swelled when she touched you. It was incredible to witness." He added with a longing sigh, smiling at his now flustered son.

"You think she'll make a good Hatake?"

"Of course she will. With how much she cares for you, there's no doubt in my mind."

Kakashi closed his eyes and let out a long sigh of relief, his anxieties leaving his body entirely.

"Happy birthday, Kakashi." Sakumo clapped, causing Kakashi to open his eyes and really smile, his mask stretching slightly.

He lifted his hand and hooked his finger under his mask and pulled it down, the fabric pooling around his neck. Looking back up at his father, he chucked to see his shocked face.

"It's been a long time since I've seen under the mask." He collected himself before smiling again, looking at his son with pride.

"You look so much like your mother." He nodded his head before abruptly standing.

"What-?"

"You're about to wake up." Sakumo smiled sadly.

"Thank you, Dad." Kakashi stepped toward his father and put his hand on his shoulder.

Before Sakumo could answer, Kakashi felt himself being dragged awake. Opening his eyes, he felt Sakura gently rubbing his cheek with her thumb.

"Hey," she whispered. "Are you okay? You were crying."

"Mm? Yeah." He whispered back, leaning into her palm and pressing a kiss to it.

"What were you dreaming about?" She asked, pulling her hand away to lean on her elbow.

Kakashi reached under the blanket and laces their fingers together before bringing them to his mouth, softly kissing the back of her hand.

"Marry me." He suddenly spoke, his voice clear as he felt her squeeze his fingers.

"What?" She choked, her voice thick with tears.

Kakashi sat up in bed and quickly reached over and pulled a ring box out of the pocket of his pants laying on the floor. Releasing her hand, she quickly sat up and covered her mouth with her hands, eyes wide as she stared at him.

"Sakura, these four years have been the happiest years of my life. I can't imagine a life without you. You are my entire world. I love you so much, Sakura, you have no idea. Would you do me the honor of staying by my side for the rest of our lives? Will you marry me, Haruno Sakura?"

Sakura choked back a sob as she nodded her head, tears rolling down her face. "Yes, yes, Kakashi. A thousand times yes." She laughed, wiping her tears.

Kakashi smiled so big he thought his face would be stuck forever. His pounding heart thudded in his ears as he reached out for her hand and slid the ring into her finger. He pulled her against his chest and buried his nose in her hair, kissing the top of her head.

"Thank you," he whispered, tightening his hold on her as his own tears began to fall. "Thank you."


End file.
